Lessons From Liberty Jail

If ever there were words that spoke more to my heart and spirit this is it! Thank you Mom and Dad for sharing this with us. Even though this was given last fall at a BYU address by Elder Holland, the Lord knew that we would need these beautiful words right now. Already the pages are getting worn with the reading and rereading that is taking place. While I could just copy and paste the entire talk here...I'm not going to deprive anyone the personal journey of reading it themselves. I'm just going to include some quotes that have really impacted me and some lessons we've learned as we've talked about this. This is definitely the most personal I've gotten on this blog, but I feel that it's important to share this for myself and also for my children.

• "You can have sacred, revelatory profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life--in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced...Every one of us, in one way or another, great or small, dramatic or incidental, is going to spend a little time in Liberty jail--spiritually speaking."
• "These difficult lessons teach us that man's extremity is God's opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives into temples--or at least into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace."
• "We are not alone in our little prisons here. When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we've ever been in our entire lives. That knowledge can turn every situation into a would-be temple."

We have learned from our prison-temple just how strong our faith is. Admittedly I had some dark days and moments where I, like Joseph, felt like asking "Oh God, where art thou...and why?" But I know that He is right there with us, where He has always been! We have never doubted that the Lord has a plan for our family. We were lead here to Dallas for specific reasons. This latest course correction is part of that divine plan. Whatever comes of this will be better for our family. In this we have not wavered. (maybe just wanted to know the direction a little sooner then the Lord wants us to know.) This prison like experience has helped us understand our Heavenly Father's love for our family. He has a plan for us and a desire to bless our family.

I have learned from our prison-temple what it is to physically and spiritually be sustained through the faithful prayers of others. For truly I have felt what it is to be sustained and uplifted by prayer.

I have learned from this prison-temple the true meaning of charity. I am overcome with emotion every time I think about how we have been blessed these past few months through so many good people. From notes of faith and encouragement on our door from Christian neighbors, gift cards in the mail, items needed left on our doorstep and so many other countless acts of pure charity we have been blessed and seen the hand of God working in and through others. Because of this experience I feel that I now know how to reach out and be aware of others in their trials on a much deeper level then I ever did before.

As cheesy as this is we have learned from this experience just how much we love each other. I have been asked on more then one occasion if I am tired of having my husband around all the time. And the resounding answer is NO! It reminds me of when we were in Jerusalem on a study abroad and spent three months 24/7 together and another student (single) asked us if we ever got sick of each other. The answer is the same today as it was 9 years ago. Both of us truly love being around each other all the time. (Now if only we could figure out a way to bring in a pay check at the same time we'd have it made!)

In the last verse from the scriptures that come to us from the Liberty Jail experience we read, "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." D&C 123:17 In our own prison like experience we have learned what that scripture means to us. What an optimistic and faithful declaration. In cold and lonely hours, as it seems we have trail upon trail added to our family, we can and will do all things cheerfully. And in the words of Elder Holland, "And then we can justifiably turn to the Lord, wait upon His mercy, and see His arm revealed in our behalf."

As crazy as this may sound, truly we are grateful for our trials. For we face them together and with Lord.... learning, growing and developing along the way.